A wear-resistant aluminum alloy for use in vehicle parts may include a hypereutectic Al—Fe alloy which contains from about 13.5 to about 18 wt %, or particularly about 12 wt % or greater, of silicon (Si) and from about 2 to about 4 wt % of copper (Cu). The hypereutectic Al—Fe alloy may have a microstructure in which primary Si particles having a size of from about 30 to about 50 μm are included, and may have enhanced wear resistance compared to mere Al—Fe alloys. Thus, such hypereutectic Al—Fe alloy may be most widely used in vehicle parts which require wear resistance, such as a shift fork, a rear cover, a swash plate, and the like.
Examples of typical commercial alloys include R14 alloy (Ryobi, Japan), K14 which is similar to R14, and A390 alloy which is used in a monoblock or aluminum liner.
However, such a hypereutectic alloy having high Si content may have reduced castability and controlling the size and the distribution of Si particles may be difficult. Furthermore, this alloy may have low impact resistance and be specially developed, and thus may cost more than conventional aluminum alloys.
In addition, an example of a self-lubricating aluminum alloy for use in vehicle parts may include an Al—Sn alloy. This Al—Sn alloy may contain from about 8 to about 15 wt % of tin (Sn), and thus self-lubricating Sn soft particles may be produced in a microstructure, to thereby reduce friction. Therefore, this alloy has been used as a base material for a metallic bearing in high frictional contact interfaces. Although strength may be reinforced by adding Si, this alloy may have a low strength of about 150 MPa or less, and may not be used in structural parts.
The description provided above as a related art of the present invention is just merely for helping understanding of the background of the present invention and should not be construed as being included in the related art known by those skilled in the art.